Display unit capable of displaying two- and three-dimensional images and method for controlling display unit

A display unit having a horizontal direction comprising:

• a light source having a plurality of parallel light-emitting regions arranged in the horizontal direction for emitting light;
• a transmissive image display panel for displaying an image when light from the light source is transmitted therethrough, the transmissive image display panel having a plurality of display positions arranged in the horizontal direction and each including a plurality of pixels;
• an image signal output section connected to the display panel, the image signal output section equally dividing each of a plurality of N images of a first to an Nth image to a plurality of divided images in which two successive images of the N images have a continuous parallax therebetween, the image signal output section generating image data so that the plurality of divided images of each of the N images is repeatedly displayed in a predetermined order at the plurality of display positions of the transmissive image display panel, respectively, and providing the image data to the plurality of pixels;
• and
• a light-emission control section for controlling the light source, the light-emission control section simultaneously emitting the light-emitting regions for every Nth light-emitting regions in the horizontal direction and switching the emitting and non-emitting of each light-emitting region at a predetermined cycle, wherein the transmissive image display panel is arranged spaced apart from and facing the light source so that light from each light-emitting region illuminates the pixels related to at least N divided images, and wherein in synchronization with the switching of the emitting and non-emitting of each light-emitting region by the light-emission control section, the image signal output section alternately provides data of a divided image, different from the divided image displayed before switching of the emitting and non-emitting of the light-emitting region, to each pixel, wherein in the horizontal direction, the light-emitting regions are arranged at the substantially same pitch as that of the pixels, and the light-emitting regions each have substantially the same width as that of each pixel, and wherein the number of the plurality of light-emitting regions in the horizontal direction is greater than that of the pixels.

A display unit having a horizontal direction comprising:

• a light source having a plurality of parallel light-emitting regions arranged in the horizontal direction;
• a transmissive image display panel for displaying an image when light from the light source is transmitted therethrough, the transmissive image display panel having a plurality of display positions arranged in the horizontal direction and each including a plurality of pixels;
• an image signal output section connected to the display panel, the image signal output section equally dividing each of a right eye image and a left eye image into a plurality of divided images, the image signal output section generating image data so that the plurality of divided images of the right eye image and the plurality of divided images of the left eye image are alternately displayed at the plurality of display positions of the transmissive image display panel, respectively, and providing the image data to the plurality of pixels;
• and
• a light-emission control section for controlling the light source, the light-emission control section switching the emitting and non-emitting of the plurality of light-emitting regions at a predetermined cycle so that one of the two adjacent light-emitting region is emitted and the other light-emitting region is non-emitted;
• wherein
• the transmissive image display panel is arranged spaced apart from and facing the light source so that the light from each light-emitting region illuminates the pixel related to at least two divided images;
• and
• the image signal output section alternately provides data of the divided image of the left eye image and data of the divided image of the right eye image to each pixel in synchronization with the switching of the emitting and non-emitting of each light-emitting region by the light-emission control section, wherein in the horizontal direction, the light-emitting regions are arranged at the substantially same pitch as that of the pixels, and the light-emitting regions each have substantially the same width as that of each pixel, and wherein the number of the plurality of light-emitting regions in the horizontal direction is greater than that of the pixels.

A method of controlling a display unit including a light source having a plurality of light-emitting regions and a transmissive image display panel for displaying an image when light from the light source is transmitted therethrough, the transmissive image display panel including a plurality of pixels and being arranged spaced apart from and facing the light source so that the light from each light-emitting region illuminates at least two pixels, wherein in a horizontal direction of the display unit, the light-emitting regions are arranged at the substantially same pitch as that of the pixels, and the light-emitting regions each have substantially the same width as that of each pixel, and wherein the number of the plurality of light-emitting regions in the horizontal direction is greater than that of the pixels, the method comprising the steps of:

• emitting at least one first selected light-emitting region among the plurality of light-emitting regions and non-light emitting at least one second selected light-emitting region among the light-emitting regions adjacent to the at least one first selected light-emitting region;
• alternately switching the emitting and non-emitting of the at least one first selected at least one second selected light-emitting region at a predetermined cycle;
• providing image data to the plurality of pixels so that the at least one first pixel of the plurality of pixels displays a first image and at the same time the at least one second pixel of the plurality of pixels adjacent to the at least one first pixel displays a second image;
• and
• controlling the plurality of pixels so that each pixel displays an image, different from the image displayed before switching of each light-emitting region, to display a plurality of images on the transmissive image display panel in sychronization with the switching of the emitting and non-emitting of each light-emitting region at the predetermined cycle.

A computer program product for controlling a display device including a light source having a plurality of light-emitting regions, a transmissive image display panel for displaying an image when light from the light source is transmitted therethrough, the transmissive image display panel including a plurality of pixels, and being arranged spaced apart from and facing the light source so that light from each light-emitting region passes through at least two pixels, and a computer for controlling the emitting of the light source and providing an image signal to the display panel, wherein in a horizontal direction of the display unit, the light-emitting regions are arranged at the substantially same pitch as that of the pixels, and the light-emitting regions each have substantially the same width as that of each pixel, and wherein the number of the plurality of light-emitting regions in the horizontal direction is greater than that of the pixels, the computer program product comprising recording media enclosed with instruction steps which when executed by the computer cause the computer to perform steps including:

• emitting at least one first selected light-emitting region of the plurality of light-emitting regions and at the same time non-emitting at least one second selected light-emitting region of the light-emitting regions adjacent to the at least one first selected light-emitting region;
• alternately switching the emitting and non-emitting of the at least one first selected light-emitting region and the at least one second selected light-emitting region at a predetermined cycle;
• providing image data to the plurality of pixels so that the at least one first pixel of the plurality of pixels displays a first image and at the same time the at least one second pixel of the plurality of pixels adjacent to the at least one first pixel displays a second image;
• and
• providing image data to the plurality of pixels so that each pixel displays an image different from the image displayed before switching of each light-emitting region in synchronization with the switching of the emitting and non-emitting of each light-emitting region at the predetermined cycle.

A display unit for displaying a stereoscopic image by alternately displaying a first image and a second image;

• the display unit comprising:
• a light source having a plurality of strip-shaped light-emitting regions parallel to each other;
• a transmissive image display panel for displaying the first image and the second image when light from the light source is transmitted therethrough, the transmissive image display panel including a plurality of first columns each including a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second columns each including a plurality of second pixels, in which each of the first column and each of the second column are adjacent to each other, the transmissive image display panel being arranged spaced apart from and facing the light source so that the light from each light-emitting region illuminates one of the first columns and one of the second columns adjacent to each other;
• a light-emission control section for controlling the light source, the light-emission control section emitting a plurality of first light-emitting regions of the plurality of light-emitting regions and at the same time non-emitting a plurality of second light-emitting regions adjacent to each of the first light-emitting regions and alternately switching the emitting and non-emitting of the first light-emitting regions and the second light-emitting regions;
• and
• an image signal output section for providing data of the first image and data of the second image to the plurality of first columns and the plurality of second columns, respectively, the image signal output section displaying the first image on the plurality of first columns when the light-emission control section emits the plurality of first light-emitting regions, and displaying the second image on the plurality of second columns when the light-emission control section emits the plurality of second light-emitting regions, wherein in a horizontal direction of the display unit, the light-emitting regions are arranged at the substantially same pitch as that of the columns, and the light-emitting regions each have substantially the same width as that of each column, and wherein the number of the plurality of light-emitting regions in the horizontal direction is greater than that of the columns.